After nearly a year of searching for a new office, the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce will be moving down Main Street into downtown Anderson in January.

The move is a strategic one, Pamela Christopher, the Chamber's president and CEO, said.

"We have not had the visibility for people to see that we're here," Christopher said. Their current offices are in the SunTrust building at 907 N. Main St. After the move, they'll be in 129 N. Main on the second floor of the TD Bank building.

She said before, smaller businesses that don't have many employees weren't able to break away and drive to the office location, but now they'll be able to walk down and access the Chamber and all its resources. She also says downtown's businesses can now expect to see more of Chamber staff.

The city's downtown revitalization efforts also played a role in the decision. Christopher specifically mentioned the Shock This Block campaign and the changes it will bring about for downtown.

"We think it's time for us to be nearer to the city, the county courthouse, all of our small businesses," she said. "We'll be partnering and collaborating more."

Mayor Terence Roberts agrees that visibility was a struggle for the Chamber in its previous location.

"With some of the new downtown development, I think the visibility will be better for them," he said. "The Chamber serves a lot of small businesses and there are a lot of small businesses in that geographical area. I'm pleased to have them downtown."

Christopher is still finalizing some aspects of the Chamber's branding and presence downtown in the TD Bank building. She appeared at Wednesday's Board of Architectural Review meeting for the Board to review her application for signage to be added to the outside of the building.

She plans to be moved into the new office "definitely by early January."